Jig fishing lure

ABSTRACT

A jig-type fishing lure having a jig body with a hook extending from a rear portion of the body and a spinner-type fish attractant located forward of a front end of the jig body. A fishing line is attached to an attachment point located between the spinner-type fish attractant and the barb of the rearwardly extending hook.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S.application Ser. No. 11/076,578, filed Mar. 9, 2005, now abandoned, andpending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/890,876, filed Aug. 7, 2007.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to fishing lures. More particularly,this invention relates to a jig fishing lure which incorporates amovable member at a location forward the location on the jig where afishing line is attached.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Jigs are a popular type of fishing lure and are used to fish for avariety of fish species. Jigs are typically characterized as having ahook partially embedded within a jig body, typically a weighted body oflead. Prior jigs are known which incorporate spinners or propellers toadd desirable fish-attracting effects. The present invention relates toa jig lure incorporating a movable member, such as a propeller or aspinner, in a manner which is believed to enhance fish attractingcharacteristics, particularly when the jig lure is vertically jigged.

In a preferred embodiment, the lure includes a hook having a bendadjacent a barb to define a rear end of the lure and a shank extendingtoward an opposite front end of the lure. A lure body is attached to aportion of the shank of the hook and a movable support member extendsfrom the lure body toward the front end of the lure and generally awayfrom the rear end of the lure. A movable member, such as a spinner bladeor a propeller, is movably associated with the movable support memberfor moving during use of the lure to attract fish to the lure. Themovable member is located forward of the lure body adjacent the frontend of the lure. A line attachment member is located adjacent the bodyfor securement of a fishing line to the lure. The line attachment memberis located between the rear end of the lure and the movable member. In apreferred embodiment, the line attachment member is provided by an eyeof the hook that extends from the lure body.

In another embodiment, the invention relates to a jig-type fishing lurehaving a jig body with a hook extending from a rear portion of the bodyand a spinner-type fish attractant located forward of a front end of thejig body. A fishing line is attached to an attachment point locatedbetween the spinner-type fish attractant and the barb of the rearwardlyextending hook.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features of preferred embodiments of the invention will becomeapparent by reference to the detailed description of preferredembodiments when considered in conjunction with the figures, which arenot to scale, wherein like reference numbers, indicate like elementsthrough the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a jig lure in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the invention incorporating a propeller type movablemember and illustrating attachment of a fishing line to the jig and theorientation of the fishing line such as when the jig lure is beingraised upwardly during vertical jigging;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a jig lure in accordance with an alternateembodiment of the invention and illustrating attachment of a fishingline to the jig and the orientation of the fishing line such as when thejig lure is allowed to fall during vertical jigging;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a jig lure in accordance with yet anotherembodiment of the invention and showing a plastic bait incorporated onthe jig lure;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a jig lure in accordance with a still furtherembodiment of the invention incorporating a spinner type movable member;and

FIG. 5 is a side view of a jig lure in accordance with a yet furtherembodiment of the invention incorporating a straight-shanked hook.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With initial reference to FIG. 1, the invention relates to a fishinglure 10 having a hook 12, a body 14, a line attachment member 16, amovable member 18, and a movable member support 20.

The hook 12 includes a barb 22, a bend 24, a shank 26, and an eye 28.The hook 12 is preferably a conventional hook of the type used to makejigs, such as a 1/0 Aberdeen style jig hook. The depicted hook 12 is aconventional jig hook and has a bend 30 in the shank adjacent the eye28. The bend 30 is preferably made at an angle of from about 60 to about90 degrees relative to the shank 26.

The body 14 is preferably a weighted body, most preferably formed oflead, tungsten, or the like, and formed by placing the hook in a mold toshape the lead to form the body 14 in a desired shape surrounding aportion of the hook 12. For example, the body 14 is preferably shaped toinclude a head 32 and a collar 34, with a portion of the shank 26 withinthe body 14 so that the eye 28 of the hook 12 extends free of the head32 and the barb 22 of the hook 12 is posterior of the collar 34.Accordingly, when a jig hook is used, the line attachment member 16 ispreferably provided by the eye 28 of the hook 12. However, in the eventa straight-shanked hook is used or the body is formed such that the eyeof the hook is not exposed, then the line attachment member 16 maypreferably be provided as by a screw eye or other structure whichprovides structure to attach a fishing line 35.

The jig lure 10 has a rear end 36 generally corresponding to the bend 24and a front end 38 generally corresponding to the portion of the movablemember support 20 most remote from the bend 24. After the body 14 isformed, it is preferably colored as by painting or powder coating. Thebody 14 may be formed in a variety of shapes. Examples ofpreferred bodyshapes are common jig body shapes such as round, tube, pony, banana,shad, and football. The collar 34 preferably includes a barb 40 to helphold a plastic bait or the like.

The body 14 may also preferably include structure for inhibitingsnagging of the hook 12, such as when the jig lure 10 is fished in waterhaving weeds. For example, a weed guard 42 may be included as bypositioning stiff fibers or the like within the mold during formation ofthe body 14. Likewise, a rubber skirt, bucktail, feathers, and the likemay be incorporated into the head or an attractant, such as a plasticbait may be installed. In this regard, FIGS. 2 and 3 show alternate headshapes, with FIG. 3 showing a plastic grub 44 positioned on the hood 22.

The movable member 18 is preferably configured to move when the jig lure10 is moved underwater. For example, when the lure 10 is pulled upwardlythrough the water or allowed to fall or settle toward the bottom of abody of water. Examples of preferred structures for the movable member18 include a propeller 46. When the lure 10 is moved through the water,the propeller will spin or rotate about the movable member support 20and emit flash from reflected sunlight and vibrations which are believedto attract fish to the lure 10.

The movable member support 20 is preferably provided by a portion ofwire 48 having opposite ends 50 and 52. For example, the support 20 maybe 19 gauge steel wire. The end 50 is preferably provided within themold during formation of the body 14 and bent around the shank 26 of thehook 12 adjacent the bend 30 (FIG. 1). The wire 48 is preferablysubstantially straight or linear along its length and sized and locatedso as to extend substantially co-axial with the major straight portionof the shank 26 of the hook 12.

The wire 48 preferably extends out of a frontal portion of the body 14 adistance sufficient to enable mounting of the movable member 18, such asthe propeller 46, thereto. The end 52 is preferably curled to serve as astop to retain the propeller 46 from sliding off the wire 18. Inaddition, additional attractants, such as one or more preferablybrightly colored beads 54, are preferably located on the movable membersupport 20. The beads 54 preferably range in size from about 2 to about6 mm in major diameter and two of the beads 54 are preferably installed,one on each side of the propeller 46. It has been observed that thisorientation of the beads 54 facilitates rotation of the propeller 18.The beads 54 may be of a variety of shapes, such as round and teardropshapes.

With reference to FIG. 4, there is shown a jig lure 60 in accordancewith an alternate embodiment of the invention. The lure 60 issubstantially similar to the previously described lures, except itincorporates a slightly more elongate support 20′ and incorporates amovable member 18′ in the form of a spinner blade 62 mounted to thesupport 20′ as by a preferably metal clevis 64 rotatably mounted on thesupport 20′. The blade 62 is preferably shaped to correspond toconventional fishing blades, such as blade shapes referred to asColorado, Indiana, Willowleaf, and Dakota blades.

FIG. 5 shows yet another embodiment of a jig lure 70. The lure 70 issubstantially similar to the lure 10 described previously, except thatit is made using a hook 12 that does not have an eye disposed at a rightangle to the shank of the hook. Rather, the hook 12′ has a shank 26′that is substantially linear and extends out of the front of body 14′.

The portion of the shank 26′ that extends out of the front of the body14′ is preferably encircled about itself to form a loop 72, andthereafter returns to the linear orientation. The loop 72 providesattachment member 16′ to which fishing is attached. The portion of theshank 26′ located forward of the loop 72 serves as movable membersupport 20′ in the manner of the movable member support 20. It ispreferred that a sufficient number of the beads 54 be used to space thepropeller 46 sufficiently remote from the attachment member 16′ so as toinhibit interference between the propeller 46 and the fishing lineattached to the member 16′. This orientation is preferred when fishinglive bait such as salamanders or crawfish, so as to position theattachment member 16′ farther from the bait. The body 14′ is shownhaving a collar 34′ which does not include the barb 40. This ispreferred when utilizing live bait with the lure 70.

The foregoing description of certain exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention has been provided for purposes of illustration only,and it is understood that numerous modifications or alterations may bemade in and to the illustrated embodiments without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

1. A fishing lure, comprising: an elongate lure body having a front end and a rear end; a hook having a bend adjacent a pointed end and a shank extending from the bend generally away from the pointed end, the shank being relatively straight and extending along an axis into the rear end of the lure body so that at least a portion of the hook shank projects rearwardly from adjacent the rear end of the lure body; an elongate support member substantially fixedly attached to and projecting forwardly from the front end of the lure body and generally away from the rear end of the lure body and the hook in general alignment with the axis of the hook shank; a movable fish-attractant member mounted on the support member for movement with resect to the support member when the lure moves through water in a manner so as to attract fish to the lure; and a line attachment member attached to and projecting from the lure body for securement of a fishing line to the lure, said line attachment member bein structurall se arate from said sus sort member at least S outside of said lure body and being spaced therefrom on said lure body, the line attachment member being disposed so as to provide a point of attachment of the fishing line to the lure generally between the front end of the lure body, from which the support member projects, and the rear end of the lure body, from which the hook projects.
 2. The lure of claim 1, wherein the hook further includes an eye portion that extends outside of and away from the lure body to provide the line attachment member, said eye portion terminating an end of said hook distally of said pointed end and being integral with and extending from said shank portion of the hook disposed within the lure body.
 3. The lure of claim 1, wherein lure the body is a weighted body.
 4. The lure of claim 1, wherein the support member comprises a wire having an end extending forwardly from the front end of the lure body and on which the moveable member is rotatably mounted.
 5. The lure of claim 1, wherein the support member comprises an elongate relatively stiff axle member extending from the lure body and the movable member comprises a propeller rotatably mounted on the axle member.
 6. The lure of claim 1, wherein the support member comprises an elongate relatively stiff axle member extending from the lure body and the movable member comprises a spinner blade rotatably mounted on the axle member.
 7. A jig-type fishing lure comprising a jig body with an elongate hook shank extending along an axis from adjacent a rear portion of the body to a hook bend and a spinner-type fish attractant rotatably mounted on a spinner support extending forwardly from adjacent of a front end of the jig body; the fishing lure further comprising a fishing line attachment member projecting from the jig body for attachment of a fishing line to the lure via the attachment member at a location generally between the spinner support and the hook and structurally separate from the spinner support externally of the jig body so that a taut fishing line attached to the attachment member and being used to retrieve the lure through the water in a manner so as to cause the spinner-type fish attractant to rotate on the spinner support will be prevented from interfering with rotation of the spinner-type fish attractant.
 8. The lure of claim 7, wherein the spinner-type fish attractant comprises a propeller.
 9. The lure of claim 7, wherein the wherein the spinner-type fish attractant comprises a spinner blade.
 10. The lure of claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the shank of the hook projects from the lure body generally along a hook axis and wherein the hook has comprises a unitary member including an eye adjacent an end thereof opposite the pointed end and wherein at least a portion of the body of the hook is embedded within the jig body so that the eye extends out of and generally laterally away from the jig body relative to the hook axis to provide the fishing line attachment member generally on a side of the lure body in relation to the axis of the shank of the hook.
 11. The lure of claim 7, wherein the spinner-type attractant is mounted on a wire extending forwardly from the body in a direction generally opposite the direction that the hook extends away from the body.
 12. A fishing lure, comprising: an elongate, substantially rigid, substantially unfoldable lure body having a front end, and a rear end which is longitudinally spaced apart from the front end; a hook attached to the lure body and projecting from the rear end of the lure body, the hook having a bend adjacent a pointed end and an elongate shank extending generally toward the front end of the lure body; a support member fixedly attached to and extending forwardly from the front end of the lure body generally away from the rear end of the lure and the hook; a movable member rotatably supported on the support member such that when the lure moves through water, the moveable member rotates about an axis substantially coextensive with the elongate support member in a manner so as to attract fish to the lure; a line attachment member attached to the lure body for securement of a fishing line to the lure body, the line attachment member being disposed so as to provide a point of attachment of the line to the lure body that is located generally between the rear end of the lure and the movable member; and a fishing line directly connected to and extending from the line attachment member; wherein when the fishing line is used to pull the lure body through the water, the front end of the lure body maintains its longitudinally space apart relationship with the rear end of the lure body.
 13. The lure of claim 12, wherein the hook further includes a barb adjacent the pointed end.
 14. The lure of claim 12, wherein the hook and the line attachment member are integral, the shank of the hook extending integrally through the lure body to the line attachment member, which comprises a loop or eye for attachment of the line thereto and forming a distal end of the hook and which is disposed generally on a side of the lure body relative to its front and rear ends.
 15. The lure of claim 12, wherein the body is a weighted body.
 16. The lure of claim 12, wherein the support member comprises a wire having an end extending forwardly from the body and on which the moveable member is rotatably mounted.
 17. The lure of claim 12, wherein the movable member comprises a propeller rotatably mounted on the support member.
 18. The lure of claim 12, wherein the movable member comprises a spinner blade rotatably mounted on the support member.
 19. The lure of claim 1, wherein the support member is devoid of any structure for attachment of a fishing line.
 20. The lure of claim 7, wherein the elongate support is devoid of a fishing line attachment member. 